About Us

“The Healthy Planet is St. Louis’ only environmental, health, wellness & natural living publication with more than 90,000 eco-friendly and health-conscious readers.

Our mission is to help our readers and their families improve the quality of their lives. We promote all that is healthy, natural, organic, earth-friendly and socially-responsible.

We encourage earth-friendly and sustainable lifestyle practices and offer our readers ongoing resources from companies, organizations and individuals who offer earth-friendly and socially-responsible products and services. The Healthy Planet is a free, monthly publication distributed to more than 800 pick-up sites throughout the greater St. Louis area including parts of nearby Illinois.”

- J.B. Lester, Publisher

Meet The Healthy Planet Staff

J.B. LesterPublisher/EditorThirty Three years in publishing. Graduate of Webster College. Father, husband, teacher, writer, photographer, entrepreneur, mystery lover. Founded The Webster-Kirkwood Times community newspaper in 1978 and The Healthy Planet magazine in 1997. Loves family, friends, golf, old black & white movies, craft beer, art, cooking & eating comfort foods. Kanreki: Japanese belief that life begins again at 60.Email: JBL44@aol.com

Linda Wiggen KraftGreen & Growing EditorLinda is a garden designer, organic gardener, writer, mandala artist, photographer, and creativity teacher. Her work centers around enhancing body, mind, heart and soul through gardens, art, art and gardening workshops, and writing. Linda began writing monthly gardening columns about organic, sustainable and holistic gardening for The Healthy Planet since 1998. Her writing is inspiring, practical and hopefully makes people fall in love with the beauty of nature in their own back yard. Linda’s work can be seen on her website: www.CreativityForTheSoul.com.Email: Lindawiggenkraft@gmail.com

Michelle “Mike” OchonickyArts EditorAward-winning artist whose work includes murals, drawing, illustrations, sculpture, photography and, most notably, scrimshaw. Her own artwork has been exhibited in the White House Visitor Center, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, the Missouri’s Capitol Rotunda and the Missouri Governor’s Mansion. Mike’s work can be found in private, corporate, state, university and museum collections around the globe. When not working in her own studio, Mike serves as an educator, lecturer, awards judge, arts advocate and, of course, arts editor for The Healthy Planet magazine where she writes her ARTful Living column in every issue, promoting the arts in the St. Louis area.Email: stonehollowstudio@yahoo.com